In general, the larger the objectives, the more light is gathered, and the more you'll see- however, the larger objectives, the heavier the binocular. Magnification should be 12x or lower- any higher and you'll have a hard time getting a steady view. Low magnification binoculars have the advantage of a big FOV (field of view), which makes navigating the night sky easier. They provide glorious views of star clusters and nebulae, and are wonderful for exploring the Milky Way. On the other hand, don't expect to see planets with any detail- they are very tiny objects at these magnifications.

11x56 LW
BAK4 prisms, with highest-quality broadband multi-coatings. Recommended for those that want a great multi-purpose binocular, yet is one of our biggest sellers for astronomy usage. The wide-angle design means you get the same 6° FOV as the lower-power 8x56. An amazing buy for less than $100.
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$ 99.95

9x60 LW
BAK4 prisms, with highest-quality broadband multi-coatings. Low-power, flat-field view, stars remain sharp to the edge. Also offers a great deal of eye relief (eyeglass wearers can use with glasses on).
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$ 109.95

12x60 LW
BAK4 prisms, with highest-quality broadband multi-coatings. Mid-range 12x magnification with an extra wide 5.7° field of view make this model a very popular choice for general-purpose usage.
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$ 109.95

11x70 LW
New lower-power version of our most-popular 15x70 (below). This is the largest and most-powerful astronomy binocular that can give steady views of the night sky without using a tripod. Flat-field design means stars are sharp to the edge of the field. More info...

$ 149.95

Mariner Series Binoculars

8x40 Mariner
Mariner Series- extra-rugged, waterproof, shockproof. Oversize BAK4 prisms, fully broadband multi-coated. Extra-wide 8.4° FOV, the widest FOV in the Oberwerk product line. In other words, this binocular shows a bigger chunk of the night sky than any of our other models.
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10x60 Mariner
Mariner Series- extra-rugged, waterproof, shockproof. Oversize BAK4 prisms, fully broadband multi-coated. The 10x60 is the most-powerful of the Mariner Series, and one of the finest hand-holdable center-focus binoculars on the market.
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